The present invention relates to a method of transmitting information between information sending equipment and information receiving equipment.
As a fundamental method of a method of transmitting information between information sending equipment and information receiving equipment, there has hitherto been known a communication method using a content code disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,479. In this method, the information sending equipment adds a content code indicative of data contents to the data and sends such data. On the other hand, the information receiving equipment judges based on previously-designated content codes whether or not the reception side user effects a selective reception of the data, i.e. whether or not the reception side user receives the data.
According to this method, the information sending equipment side or the system administrator or manager decides the numbers of a plurality of content codes and the meanings thereof. The information receiving equipment side learns the numbers of content codes that can be used and the meanings thereof in advance by some method, selects content codes necessary for its own receiving equipment, and sets the selected content codes in a manual fashion.
Let us consider the case in which commercial/advertisement information concerning a certain merchandise is distributed to ordinary users in the home by using a communication satellite and a network. Also, in this case, let it be assumed that a market strategy officer or commercial/advertisement information provider considers that such merchandise should be distributed to only the users of xe2x80x9ctwenties/female/TOKYOxe2x80x9d as a market strategy. According to the content code communication method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,479, initially, the market strategy officer determines a content code expressing xe2x80x9cfor twenties/female/TOKYOxe2x80x9d as xe2x80x9c1001xe2x80x9d, for example, and sends data of such content code to the user on the information receiving side by some method. Then, if the user on the information receiving side wants to obtain the data sent in the form of the content code xe2x80x9c1001xe2x80x9d, i.e. data suited for xe2x80x9ctwenties/female/TOKYOxe2x80x9d, then the user on the information receiving side has to set this content code xe2x80x9c1001xe2x80x9d in its own receiving equipment as a necessary content code in a manual fashion.
Then, when the market strategy officer considers that another merchandise should be distributed to only users suited for xe2x80x9ctwenties/femalexe2x80x9d, the market strategy officer determines the content code expressing xe2x80x9ctwenties/femalexe2x80x9d as a content code xe2x80x9c1002xe2x80x9d, for example, and sends data of such content code to the user on the information receiving side by some method. Then, if the user on the information receiving side wants to obtain data sent in the form of the content code xe2x80x9c1002xe2x80x9d, i.e. data suited for xe2x80x9ctwenties/femalexe2x80x9d, then the user on the information receiving side has to set such content code xe2x80x9c1002xe2x80x9d in its own receiving equipment as a necessary content code in a manual fashion.
It is frequently observed that the market strategy officer sets/changes the market strategy. In addition, it is also frequently observed that there exist two strategies having an important difference from a market strategy standpoint although the two strategies resemble like xe2x80x9ctwenties/female/TOKYOxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ctwenties/femalexe2x80x9d. From a standpoint of the user on the information receiving equipment, it is very cumbersome for such user to set the content code in its own receiving equipment in a manual fashion each time the strategy is set frequently and modified delicately.
Moreover, the above-mentioned content code communication method is characterized in that the user on the information receiving side is allowed to set only a necessary content code of its own will. Accordingly, there is no other way that data is selected and received by the user on the information receiving side of its own will. For example, unless the information receiving side user sets the content code xe2x80x9c1001xe2x80x9d, there is then presented the problem that the strategy for distributing the merchandise advertisement to the users of xe2x80x9ctwenties/female/TOKYOxe2x80x9d becomes ineffective substantially. That is, there is the problem that the market strategy officer on the information sending side cannot urge the user on the information receiving side to selectively receive the merchandise advertisement as the strategy officer has expected to be in the market strategy.
A similar problem will occur not only when the above-mentioned commercial/advertisement information is distributed but also when ordinary information is distributed. In other words, the information sender cannot combine properties of receivers in such various fashions that only a target receiver may selectively receive information.
Also, according to the content code communication method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,479, the receiving side user in the information receiving equipment selectively receives data based on the previously-designated content code. As a consequence, even when data are received a plurality of times during a certain constant period of time, it is unavoidable that such receiving side user receives every data.
Therefore, even when the user wants to receive data of the fixed number (e.g. a piece of data) during a certain constant period of time, this becomes impossible. When merchandise advertisement information is distributed in the 30-second commercial time zone in a television program, only one merchandise advertisement information can be received and displayed in a time period of 30 seconds in a real time fashion. If it is considered that an advertisement of a merchandise A is provided to the users of xe2x80x9ctwenties/female/TOKYOxe2x80x9d and an advertisement of a merchandise B is provided to the users of xe2x80x9ctwenties/femalexe2x80x9d during a time period of 30 seconds according to the same market strategy, then it is unavoidable that the user of xe2x80x9ctwenties/female/TOKYOxe2x80x9d receive merchandise information of both the A and B merchandises because the property xe2x80x9ctwenties/female/TOKYOxe2x80x9d is contained in the property xe2x80x9ctwenties/femalexe2x80x9d. There is then presented the problem that the information receiving equipment is unable to determine which of the advertisements of the merchandises A and B should be received or displayed.
A similar problem occurs not only in a communication method using a content code (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9ccontent code communication methodxe2x80x9d) but also in an address communication method using a protocol containing an ordinary destination address. For example, if a plurality of merchandise advertisement data (information) are distributed during the same time zone and a plurality of data are received/displayed in a real time fashion by designating a user C as a destination address, then the user C can read and understand only merchandise advertisement information of a finite number (maybe one or two) at the same time due to a limit of man""s understanding ability.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a content code communication method which can alleviate a load imposed upon a user on an information receiving equipment side when the user registers a necessary content code in its own information receiving equipment after the user has learned a content code that is applicable to the user.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a content code communication method in which only a target receiver is made able to selectively receive information by variously combining properties of the receiver of its own will. To be concrete, not only based on the will of the user on the information receiving equipment but also the will or the strategy of an information provider on an information sending equipment side, the target user on the information receiving equipment side is made able to selectively receive information.
Further, it is another object of the present invention to provide an ordinary communication method in which an information receiving side becomes able to receive only data of a fixed number during a certain fixed period of time.
It is a specific object of the present invention to provide an information sending and receiving method and an information sending and receiving system using such information sending and receiving method in which a user on an information receiving equipment side can selectively receive information in accordance with a will or a strategy of an information provider on an information sending equipment side.
It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide an information sending and receiving method and an information sending and receiving method using such information sending and receiving method in which only a target user is made able to selectively receive information when an information provider on an information sending equipment side combines variously properties of a user on an information receiving equipment side in accordance with a will of the information provider.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an information sending method for use with the above-mentioned information sending and receiving system and an information sending equipment using such information sending method.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an information receiving method for use with the above-mentioned information sending and receiving system and an information receiving equipment using such information receiving method.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a message format for use with the above-mentioned information sending and receiving system.
To attain the above-mentioned objects, according to the present invention, there is provided a system in which a plurality of information receiving equipment and a plurality of information sending equipment send and receive information through a transmission medium. The information sending equipment sends a content code indicative of data content and a condition under which the content code is registered as a registration message. The information receiving equipment receives the registration message and determines based on the received condition and a previously-set property whether or not the content code is registered. The information sending equipment adds the content code indicative of a data content to data and sends resultant data as a data message. When the data message is arrived, the information receiving equipment determines based on the received content code and the above-mentioned registered content code whether or not it receives the data. In particular, a profile of a user on the information receiving equipment, a user taste, information concerning user situation or the registered content code are used as properties.
Furthermore, in the system in which a plurality of information receiving equipment and a plurality of information sending equipment send and receive information through the transmission medium, the information sending equipment adds an event number indicative of an event with other data during a constant period of time and transmits resultant data to the information receiving equipment as a data message. When the data message is arrived, the information receiving equipment determines based on the received event number and an event number of other received message whether or not it receives data.
According to the present invention, in the information sending and receiving system using the content code communication method, when the user on the information receiving equipment side learns a content code that can be used, it is possible to alleviate a load imposed upon such user to register a necessary content code on its own information receiving equipment.
Further, according to the present invention, in the information sending and receiving system using the content code communication method, the user on the information receiving side can selectively receive information based on not only the will of the user on the information receiving equipment side but also the will of the information provider on the information sending equipment side.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, in the ordinary data communication method, when the user on the information receiving equipment side wants to receive only data of a fixed number during a certain period of time, the user can receive data of only a fixed number during a certain period of time.